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Date: 8/1/2023
HOLYOKE — As the state continues to channel refugees to Massachusetts municipalities in its capacity as a “Right to Shelter” state, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia said the city will look to do its part if any migrants are to settle in Holyoke.
While the city is ready to stay committed to the state through its “Right to Shelter” status, Garcia said the state will have to up its game in its support for the city as well.
“We don’t know much. There is a chance we might not see any migrants sheltered in the city in this most recent wave that the Governor’s administration is facilitating,” Garcia said. “But in the event we do, we will be prepared. In the spirit of transparency, however, we want to be sure our community knows what we know and that we are monitoring developments.”
Garcia’s public statement came in the wake of a statewide Zoom conference on July 19 where Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll gave the cities and towns across the state a heads up that refugees seeking shelter will be directed to some 70-plus of the state’s 351 municipalities. She did not identity perspective host towns or cities.
If Holyoke should be selected, Garcia said he will balance compassion with protecting the interests of the city, adding if the interests of the city aren’t balanced it places the city on an unsustainable path.
“Holyoke has always been a compassionate city. Our efforts on behalf of the homeless and disadvantaged are well known. Our hearts are with the refugees and anyone else down and out on their luck,” Garcia said.
Garcia continued by saying if the city is one of the 70-plus chosen to shelter migrants, something he had no information on if or when that would happen as of print time, the state needs to know it won’t be possible to maintain with their existing resources.
“The current shelter crisis is not a Holyoke problem or a Chicopee problem or a Springfield problem. It is a statewide issue that requires a statewide response,” Garcia said. “On Thursday [July 20], I communicated with Lt. Gov. Driscoll, assuring her that if Holyoke is one of the 70-plus, our doors are open, and we will be prepared to meet the challenge as we have for other humanitarian issues for decades.”
Garcia added that the other half of the promise requires the legislature and the Healy Administration to recognize the scope of the challenge and the impact it has on keeping up with quality-of-life issues and basic municipal services and responding with realistic resources.
As of print time there was still no update for the city, but Garcia told Reminder Publishing he believes the state could step in for assistance in different ways and reiterated municipalities like Holyoke need the help of a statewide response.
Garcia said one option is for the state to make available additional funds that help local governments keep up with their basic services as they get an influx of new people. Garcia added another option that would help in this scenario is if the state were to streamline funds to help Holyoke develop more housing, rapid housing construction for workforce tenants, and market-rate so the city can keep up with need and also cultivate mixed income housing opportunities to downtown.
The mayor’s office stated they will update the public as they learn more.